PR/PR Public Relations for Professional Speakers, Consultants, and Non-Fiction Authorshttp://prpr.net
Tue, 02 Jun 2020 16:31:39 +0000en-US
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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.1Religion and Politics CAN Mixhttp://prpr.net/religion-and-politics-can-mix/
http://prpr.net/religion-and-politics-can-mix/#respondTue, 02 Jun 2020 16:31:38 +0000http://prpr.net/?p=4650This is not a political blog. Carter and I had many discussions on making sure this is not a political blog. My father even warned me, “Two things you never discuss in public: politics and religion.” Well, hold on to your horses, ‘cause we’re gonna do both! The Right Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal […]

]]>This is not a political blog. Carter and I had many discussions on making sure this is not a political blog. My father even warned me, “Two things you never discuss in public: politics and religion.” Well, hold on to your horses, ‘cause we’re gonna do both!

The Right Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington is my new hero! Maybe because I’m a non-practicing Christian who self-identifies as Episcopalian. I was raised in the Lutheran church by a Catholic mother and Agnostic Father (they always said when they got married they met in the middle), but converted and was re-confirmed as Episcopalian when I was in college.

Bishop Budde was quoted as saying, “It is about love of neighbor and sacrificial love and justice.” She referred to the peaceful protests as “a sacred act.”

Her words were calm and welcoming as she called for peace and justice. She said all citizens were welcomed into the church who wanted to pray together for peace and justice. In her Twitter feed, Bishop Budde confirmed, “We are followers of Jesus. … We stand with those seeking justice for the death of George Floyd through the sacred act of peaceful protest.” Bishop Budde closed an interview on Good Morning America urging everyone to align themselves with the God of unconditional love and justice.

In publicity it’s all about frequency and repetition, so I’ll say it again, Peace and Justice

]]>http://prpr.net/religion-and-politics-can-mix/feed/0Every day should be Memorial Day, and every day should be Veterans Day.http://prpr.net/every-day-should-be-memorial-day-and-every-day-should-be-veterans-day/
http://prpr.net/every-day-should-be-memorial-day-and-every-day-should-be-veterans-day/#respondTue, 26 May 2020 14:08:17 +0000http://prpr.net/?p=4646Today’s post is a guest blog by speaker, forthcoming author, and my sister: Lynda L. Trahan-Greene I am so grateful for those that chose/choose to serve our country. That tradition started in my family in 1864 when my great, great grandfather chose to join the Civil War in Troy, New York, two years before the […]

I am so grateful for those that chose/choose to serve our country. That tradition started in my family in 1864 when my great, great grandfather chose to join the Civil War in Troy, New York, two years before the age of conscription (which is now called “the draft”). Thank you to all of my ancestors and relatives that served, and thank you to everyone that has served and continues to serve. I am proud that Renia Trahan, a Canadian by birth, decided to fight for the unity of his new country in order to abolish slavery.

The word “unity” has taken on a deeper meaning in 2020. We are all sanitizing together, distancing together, and most importantly, learning together. This time, we are unifying for our very lives.

Finding the unity in difficult situations at the office is not always easy, however, as a means of relationship building, unity is priceless. Why should we celebrate diversity when we can cherish unity?

I challenge all of you to find that Unity Factor that works for you. When you find your Unity Factor, it’s a necessary device to be remembered and duplicated, over and over. When stress is overwhelming, you will be able to fall back on a sense of unity with your employees, co-workers, suppliers and customers that will feel familiar.

Preparation for probable future stress is not something that is taught in school. Meditation and yoga are wonderful tools, however, when the going gets rough, the Unity Factor is more readily available.

One of my favorite Unity Factors, is to simply be grateful. Thank the copy machine repairperson for still being willing to visit your office, thank the restaurant worker for the extra side of ranch dressing in your takeout order, and thank your assistant for coming in today! There are many other tools that can be considered Unity Factors. Gift giving, compliments and actually listening are quality items that make a difference 40 hours a week. What are your favorite Unity Factors? – Lynda L. Trahan-Greene

]]>http://prpr.net/every-day-should-be-memorial-day-and-every-day-should-be-veterans-day/feed/0Boom! Suddenly it’s 40 Years Laterhttp://prpr.net/boom-suddenly-its-40-years-later/
http://prpr.net/boom-suddenly-its-40-years-later/#respondTue, 19 May 2020 16:11:38 +0000http://prpr.net/?p=4643Yesterday, May 18th, was the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. I still vividly remember being driven to Sunday School that morning, seeing the plume in the sky (I was raised in Beaverton, OR) and wondering what happened. A little while later my parents, like many parents, came up to the church […]

]]>Yesterday, May 18th, was the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. I still vividly remember being driven to Sunday School that morning, seeing the plume in the sky (I was raised in Beaverton, OR) and wondering what happened. A little while later my parents, like many parents, came up to the church to take me home not being sure of how the day was going to play out and wanting the family to be together. It turns out, we were never in any real danger, but you don’t usually know this while you’re going through a situation, you only realize it when you’re on the other side.

1994 – Northridge Earthquake hits Los Angeles. I was at a conference in Irvine, CA. Always wear pajamas while staying in a hotel, you never know when you’re going to have to climb down many flights of stairs in the early morning hours.

And, of course 1980 – Mt. St. Helens erupts

With all of these, the common thread is preparing yourself the best you can with the information you have on hand at the time. If the situation changes later, don’t be too hard on yourself. I chuckle every time I walk by the jugs of water sitting in my dining room. When the pandemic started and there was a run on toilet paper we didn’t know if there would be a run on water, so we moved it inside from the carport to keep it from being looted when society fell apart. Fortunately, society hasn’t fallen apart (yet) but there the jugs of water sit.

Be well, stay safe, make sane decisions, and stay flexible as new information presents itself.

]]>http://prpr.net/boom-suddenly-its-40-years-later/feed/0Happy Birthday to You, Thank You to Youhttp://prpr.net/happy-birthday-to-you-thank-you-to-you/
http://prpr.net/happy-birthday-to-you-thank-you-to-you/#respondTue, 12 May 2020 15:50:03 +0000http://prpr.net/?p=4639I remember as a kid asking my grandmother, “Why is there a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day, but no kid’s day?” Her response? “Every day is kid’s day!” Today, May 12th, is the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth (1820) and the end of National Nurses Week. I would propose, however, that the week not […]

]]>I remember as a kid asking my grandmother, “Why is there a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day, but no kid’s day?” Her response? “Every day is kid’s day!”

Today, May 12th, is the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth (1820) and the end of National Nurses Week. I would propose, however, that the week not end and that Every Day is National Nurses Day!

In 1953, Dorothy Sutherland, an employee at the United States Department of Health, sent a letter to President Eisenhower proposing a National Nurses Day. Although he did not make an official proclamation, the following year people began celebrating National Nurses Week on their own. It wasn’t until 1974 that President Nixon proclaimed a National Nurses Week, of no specific week however. In 1982, Congress designated May 6th to be National Recognition Day for Nurses and President Reagan signed the proposal. The American Nurses Association expanded the celebration in 1990 to a week-long celebration (May 6-12) known as National Nurses Week.

The brave women and men of the nursing profession deserve to be honored, saluted, and respected as the undisputed wonders they are.

When you get to be my age you’ve met your share of nurses. Some in your doctors’ offices, some in hospitals, some in clinics. They don’t have the privilege of ‘having a bad day’ like you and I can. Literally, everyone a nurse meets is going through something, so they have to be kind whether they feel like it or not. They, themselves, might be a caregiver and working with fellow nurses who are caring for someone they love.

So, please, if you see a nurse today, or any day, give them your seat on the bus, let them step in line in front of you, hold the door for them (female or male) and show them even just an ounce of the kindness they’ll show you, or someone you love, the next time you see them in their workplace.

“I think one’s feelings waste themselves in words, they ought all to be distilled into actions and into actions which bring results.”

]]>http://prpr.net/happy-birthday-to-you-thank-you-to-you/feed/0A Rose By Any Other Name…http://prpr.net/a-rose-by-any-other-name/
http://prpr.net/a-rose-by-any-other-name/#respondTue, 05 May 2020 14:47:51 +0000http://prpr.net/?p=4606A period of crisis always brings out a burst of reinvention. It was one of those Aha! moments for me in school when I finally put together the down turn in the aerospace industry in the 1970s and the birth of the home computer industry. It’s sad that all those engineers had to lose their […]

]]>A period of crisis always brings out a burst of reinvention. It was one of those Aha! moments for me in school when I finally put together the down turn in the aerospace industry in the 1970s and the birth of the home computer industry. It’s sad that all those engineers had to lose their jobs, but now we have computers, and laptops, and tablets in every room of our homes.

We are in a period of crisis right now that is also bringing on a burst of reinvention. A conference call I was on a couple of weeks ago brought out the statement from one attendee, “I’ve been knowing I should put my material online for years now, but now I have no choice!” It’s not just a matter of finding new ways to do what we already do, but also finding new markets, industries, or even departments within an organization to do what you did before now that you can’t do it anymore the way you did before.

A recent call with a potential client sets the perfect example. The woman is a home organizer. When people are concerned with making their mortgage payments, they don’t really care how organized their house is, so the woman’s business was down significantly. Before the crisis, she had a referral from a home client to organize their office as well, and the potential client wanted to talk to me about expanding her business into office organization officially. I thought this was the perfect time period for her advice, since people have more time on their hands to re-organize their offices. She wasn’t sure, however, that her expertise extended from home to office. To me it was a natural fit! I knew articles in trade, industry, and association publications on how to use the downtime to dig into the projects you’ve always wanted to and clean out those files, finally.

How many of you have articles that you now have time to write, finally?

]]>http://prpr.net/a-rose-by-any-other-name/feed/0Reuse, Recycle, and Remodelhttp://prpr.net/reuse-recycle-and-remodel/
http://prpr.net/reuse-recycle-and-remodel/#respondTue, 28 Apr 2020 16:29:23 +0000http://prpr.net/?p=4604I was set off this morning by an article regarding the fact that the house used for exterior shots in the 1981 movie, Mommie Dearest, was recently sold and the new owner is just tearing it down. Now, the new owner has a right to do whatever they want with the property, after all, I […]

]]>I was set off this morning by an article regarding the fact that the house used for exterior shots in the 1981 movie, Mommie Dearest, was recently sold and the new owner is just tearing it down. Now, the new owner has a right to do whatever they want with the property, after all, I don’t pay the taxes on it. So I have no right to say, but why buy a house just to tear it down?! It’s a beautiful mid-1930’s colonial, not some ugly post-modern eye-sore. The rest of the neighborhood homes are similar mid-1930’s gracious mansions, not a bunch of cookie-cutter stucco mcmansions. The property is not historically significant, despite having a classically-bad movie filmed there, so it doesn’t necessarily deserve protection by a non-profit society. But why buy a house just to tear it down? Why not remodel or adapt it to your needs, or buy elsewhere?

This is also happening in my neighborhood here in Orlando, as I’m sure it’s happening all across the country. I live in an area of gracious mid-century ranch—style houses with large lots, sweeping lawns, and mature trees. It seems like when a house sells, the nouveau riche new owner tears it down, strips the lot bare, and builds to the lot-lines, a multi-story mcmansion that sticks out like a sore thumb. I have nothing against those who like that style of house, in fact there are many very nice neighborhoods with exactly those types of houses built up in the last decade, just a few miles out of town. In my opinion, if you like that kind of house, go there! If you like the kind of neighborhood the older home is in, buy it to reuse, recycle, and/or remodel it!

The same is true when writing an article. When it comes to topics and content; reuse, recycle, and/or remodel. Don’t re-create the wheel or struggle with new that might not fit in with your current brand. Use a book chapter, or a blog post, or a workshop handout. Keep the same message that fits in with your current content, just reformat it for the audience of the magazine you’re writing for. Your re-creation could be remodeled just right so that your new style of home is re-born!

]]>http://prpr.net/reuse-recycle-and-remodel/feed/0Listen, My Children, and You Shall Hear …http://prpr.net/listen-my-children-and-you-shall-hear/
http://prpr.net/listen-my-children-and-you-shall-hear/#respondTue, 21 Apr 2020 15:59:10 +0000http://prpr.net/?p=4601With all due respect to Longfellow, I thought this was the best way to start this blog. This weekend I was binge watching Outlander, and got to an episode where Brianna was in school in Boston in the 1960’s. Her History teacher was talking about Paul Revere and Samuel Prescott and their famous ride. When […]

]]>With all due respect to Longfellow, I thought this was the best way to start this blog.

This weekend I was binge watching Outlander, and got to an episode where Brianna was in school in Boston in the 1960’s. Her History teacher was talking about Paul Revere and Samuel Prescott and their famous ride. When a classmate of hers asked why no one had heard of Dr. Prescott, the teacher held up a copy of the famous poem and said, “Paul Revere had a better publicist!”

Some say we’re at war right now. We’re battling for our health and our futures. Just like all wars, this one will end, and we will be victorious. And, just like other wars, some will be remembered and others will be forgotten. As crass as it sounds, the ones with the better publicist will be remembered.

History is written by those who publish the history books. I don’t know who said that, but it’s true. When I was in school, all American history started with Plymouth Rock and Jamestown. This is because all the history books are published in New England. Then, many years later, I moved to Florida and learned about St. Augustine which was settled hundreds of years before the other two towns, but just didn’t get the press they did.

Magazines are still publishing, even in a war. They have column inches to fill and online content to develop. Why not be a part of that content and be a part of those who are remembered when we’re on the other side of all this?

]]>http://prpr.net/listen-my-children-and-you-shall-hear/feed/0You can be relevant now…and foreverhttp://prpr.net/you-can-be-relevant-now-and-forever/
http://prpr.net/you-can-be-relevant-now-and-forever/#respondTue, 14 Apr 2020 17:05:35 +0000http://prpr.net/?p=4581The great economist and author, Peter Drucker once said something like: “the trouble is, before World War II it took thirty years to become a Vice President, since World War II everyone expects to be a Vice President before they’re thirty!” People’s expectation of time goes quickly. The half-life of technology doesn’t help. It took […]

]]>The great economist and author, Peter Drucker once said something like: “the trouble is, before World War II it took thirty years to become a Vice President, since World War II everyone expects to be a Vice President before they’re thirty!”

People’s expectation of time goes quickly. The half-life of technology doesn’t help. It took thousands of years to invent the phone, then hundreds to invent the smart phone, now a new version comes out in a matter of weeks. It took thousands of years to invent movies, then TV, then home video, then video stores, then mail-to-you DVDs, now streaming. It just feels like life should happen faster and faster.

I remember touring a Dupont Family mansion in Wilmington, Delaware years ago. In his home office, this Dupont had very modern equipment for the 1920s. He philosophized that we’d all be working three-day work weeks thanks to the gadgets. What he didn’t know was that the gadgets only helped us do more, quicker, so more was expected.

Our current experience might have a silver lining. If anything, it might teach us to slow down again, not race at such a pace, and realize we can’t control the speed of everything. It might bring back a sense that not everything needs to go viral, that you can still be a success even if you don’t have a million-zillion followers. If the followers you do have are the right ones, ones who can actually hire you and are not just ‘like-able’ followers. The TV shows M*A*S*H and CHEERS were almost cancelled their first years on the air. But, over time, with perseverance, they garnered an audience and became smash hits that ran for years.

With time and perseverance your career can, too. Even while quarantining you can get and keep your name and content in front of the right audience. It might just take a little longer than expected, like it used to. And right now, that’s just fine.

]]>http://prpr.net/you-can-be-relevant-now-and-forever/feed/0Even in a Pandemic, Life Goes Onhttp://prpr.net/even-in-a-pandemic-life-goes-on/
http://prpr.net/even-in-a-pandemic-life-goes-on/#respondTue, 07 Apr 2020 18:24:02 +0000http://prpr.net/?p=4578When I woke up this morning lyrics from the Michael Bublé song “Feeling Good” were running through my mind: It’s a new dawn, It’s a new day It’s a new life for me And I’m feeling good […]

]]>When I woke up this morning lyrics from the Michael Bublé song “Feeling Good” were running through my mind:

It’s a new dawn, It’s a new day

It’s a new life for me

And I’m feeling good

I’m feeling good

It’s a new dawn, a new day for PR/PR Public Relations as we give best wishes to Carter as he moves on to greater adventures and opportunities. Carter has been with PR/PR for nearly nine years, just three months less than I’ve owned the agency, and almost half of its 20+ year existence.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Carter professionally is his brilliant writing. He turns a phrase and molds a metaphor better than anyone else I’ve read. Many clients were the beneficiary of his skills while he was crafting article pitches and press releases for them. His attention to detail and follow-through will be a blessing to any organization lucky enough to have him in their fold for a while.

When I think of Carter on a more personal level I think of a genuinely nice guy and good friend. I know he’s fiercely loyal to his friends and has their back no matter where on the globe they live. From his travels, he does have friends he keeps in contact with all over the world. I will miss our conversations, and sometimes debates, over politics and other current events. His ability to root out the truth of any media source bested my position on an issue many times.

Carter will be missed at PR/PR. He was an asset to the agency. We wish him luck and happiness. PR/PR is a boutique agency and he is a talented young man who needed to step away in order to keep moving up and we completely understand this.

His email address is still active, but for faster service just email me directly and I’ll get right back to you.

]]>http://prpr.net/even-in-a-pandemic-life-goes-on/feed/0Thank you, Doctorshttp://prpr.net/thank-you-doctors/
http://prpr.net/thank-you-doctors/#respondTue, 31 Mar 2020 13:48:52 +0000http://prpr.net/?p=4575Yesterday was National Doctors’ Day here in the States, and it could not have landed on a more apropos day. Doctors and healthcare workers are manning the frontlines of this pandemic, risking their own safety to work to save the lives of their fellow citizens. They’re working incredibly long hours—sleep deprived and likely homesick, but […]

]]>Yesterday was National Doctors’ Day here in the States, and it could not have landed on a more apropos day. Doctors and healthcare workers are manning the frontlines of this pandemic, risking their own safety to work to save the lives of their fellow citizens. They’re working incredibly long hours—sleep deprived and likely homesick, but they’re answering the call to battle COVID-19.

As I type this, the State of Florida has eclipsed 5,500 cases. It has more than doubled since the weekend. It will continue to rise over the coming days. April is likely to be a very difficult month for the entire country as states and municipalities play a cruel game of whack-a-mole with this virus. Contain an outbreak here, just to have another appear over there.

It will take all of our cooperation to stay indoors to limit its spread to allow these heroes among us the time to do their thankless work. If the healthcare system becomes overwhelmed, we’re limiting taking our first-line defenders out of the fight.

You’ve seen the photos of these healthcare professionals and the message they’re imploring us to heed: “We come to work for you, please stay at home for us.” There’s very little that we can do right now—we’re unfortunately at the mercy of this virus. But we can limit our exposure to others and do our part to protect the doctors and nurses and lab techs that are working tirelessly on our behalf.

So thank you, doctors, for your bravery and your relentless drive to fight this for us. You’re our line of defense against this disease, and true heroes in a time when we desperately need them.